Related

It once was so easy. Once, just throwing together a few prawn rings, say, or devils on horseback, or whizzing a few things in a blender was all it took to elevate your cooking to "sophisticated" new heights.

Now there's far greater expectation from the kitchen department, ranging from the otherworldly epicurean creations a la molecular gastronomy — a nod to Britain's Heston Blumenthal and the influence of his Fat Duck restaurant — to the simple, yet perfect combining of (often local) ingredients, all with an army of gadgets and tools at hand.

Thankfully, Vancouver, like most of Canada’s major cities, effortlessly delivers a gluttony of both equipment and food to ensure everyone can show off their culinary chops.

“With chefs now being the new rock ’n’ roll, their celebrity status has certainly fuelled the trend for cooking and food,” says David Werner, the president and owner of the Cookworks stores in Vancouver. Add economic uncertainty into the mix, and it’s a recipe for more home-cooking and entertaining, he says. “People often cocoon and start reliving at home what the chefs do.”

So where to begin when buying for the starter chef this holiday season? For Fontaine Wong, whose family has run the Ming Wo chain of culinary stores in Vancouver since 1917, that’s easy: Knives.

“Every kitchen starts with a good knife,” she says, “and it’s worth buying the best you can afford because it will be something you will use for a long time. For me it was always a comfort to see my parents use knives that have been around forever.”

Two of the most popular types come from Germany (such as the Wustof) and Japan (like Global), the former being a little heavier than the latter so it is worth thinking about which weight works better for the user. “The quality of knives has become so much better,” Werner says. “I always find cooking more enjoyable with these good, core tools. I even love doing all the prep by hand if I have a good knife.”

Another fundamental part of the kitchen is a travel spice kit, says Caren McSherry of Gourmet Warehouse. Whether you’re at home or heading off somewhere, she believes it will ensure you never stop attempting more exciting recipes because you haven’t the right flavours.

“It’s great for boaters, campers, and people on weekends away in a chalet; you bring your kit and become a hit for never cooking a boring dish or returning to the standard baked beans on toast,” she says. “We are so fortunate to have the best talents in our chefs and restaurants in this city, which inspires such passionate buyers.”

The city’s more experienced foodies are always testing the limits.

“We see plenty of people who are trying to really build something, those who are getting so creative in the kitchen and really want to jazz up their food and sauces,” says Werner, who established Cookworks 13 years ago after working with Ikea in Ontario and being inspired by seeing European and other North American lifestyle/cooking retail offerings.

From high-tech slow juicers, designed to extract more nutrients, to molecular gastronomy sets (and even the odd request for sous-vide, the high-tech vacuum-style cooking favoured by upper-echelon restaurants), Werner believes an increase of men cooking has led to more “toys for the boys.”

“The business dynamic has changed dramatically in recent years,” he says. "It was once primarily women buying for the kitchen, but with men more involved they often want the most powerful thing in the store.”

Another piece in the heirloom category is the much-praised, old faithful Le Creuset cookware. This season, the French firm has released a special red, white and green set. For Wong, it’s part of people’s desire for a “blast of colour in the kitchen — they like that bit of sunshine.”

With restaurant reviewers gushing over wood-fired pizza establishments, all three of our experts agree pizza stones remain popular. McSherry sells more than a thousand a year, and Wong chooses the Emile Henry pizza stone as one of her best presents. “It’s like a reincarnation of what a brick oven would be,” she explains, adding the crisp-crust result — thanks to the stone absorbing moisture — can even be achieved on the barbecue as well as in the oven.

Tastebuds, says McSherry, are in for an especially sweet treat this holiday.

Top trends among the 22,000 different items in her store include caramel (“especially in popcorn, which has never been so embellished,” she says), single-origin chocolate bars now infused with such flavours as cardamom and black pepper (“giving them crunch and texture, as well as knowing exactly where in the world it came from”) and the use of seafoam candy and antioxidant-rich goji berry (she’s a new aficionado of Burnaby-based Urge chocolates which uses it in its ingredients; its chocolate-coated seafoam candy is $3.99 each and the goji-berry bar is $4.99).

McSherry still raves about the best culinary present she was ever given: a nutmeg grinder. “My mother bought it for me 30 years ago and it produces the most amazing fragrance and I still use it frequently,” she says. “It’s a powerful reminder of how quality lasts.”

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.